QUOTESThe Wind That Shakes the Barley - Powerful.
Stephanie Daley - If America still has a heart beating,…surely it will pound for Stephanie Daley.
Bug - Searingly intense!
The Real Dirt on Farmer John - A loving, moving, inspiring, quirky documentary.
La Vie En Rose - One of the best biopics I’ve seen, tells Piaf’s life story through the extraordinbary performance of Marion Cotillard.
Transformers - Michael Bay scores.
Goya’s Ghosts - Bewitching. An extraordinarily beautiful film. I was enraptured.
The Simpsons Movie - Funny, sassy, intelligent…good-hearted.
No End In Sight - ****
The Bourne Ultimatum - Mind-blowing action.
Hot Rod - Entertaining…Andy Samberg, on the basis of this film, could become a very big star.
Death at a Funeral - …Part farce, part slapstick and part eccentricity!
Resurrecting the Champ - Samuel L. Jackson disappears into his role.
Romance & Cigarettes - Slice of life crossed with magical realism.
3:10 To Yuma - ****! Restores the wounded heart of the western.
The Brave One - Spellbinding.
Eastern Promises - ****. Extraordinary. At a time when movie fight scenes are as routine as the dances in musicals, Viggo Mortensen engages in a fight in this film that sets the same kind of standard that The French Connection set for chases.
Across the Universe - **** It’s the kind of movie you watch again, like listening to a favorite album.
The Jane Austen Book Club - Sense and sexuality! A celebration!
Into the Wild - A spellbinding film…Emile Hirsch gives a hypnotic performance…****
Lust, Caution - Exquisitely beautiful. If there was ever a director who seems in no danger of repeating himself, that director is Ang Lee. Tony Leung is the Asian Cary Grant.
My Kid Could Paint That - Spellbinding.
The Darjeeling Limited - Warm, engaging and funny.
Rendition - This film is perfect.
Lars and the Real Girl - ***1/2! …Deeply satisfying.
Rails & Ties - Powerful.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - As good, in its own way, as Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. He hasn’t lost one beat in 50 years.
Music Within - Entertaining and inspiring!
Slipstream - Impressive!
Bella - Warm, sweet and funny.
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song - **** A vibrant musical film.
No Country for Old Men - **** One hell of a film! No Country for Old Men is a miracle.
P2 - Slasher P2 finds new level of horror. ***.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium - A wonderful family movie.
Starting Out in the Evening - I loved it! Frank Langella’s finest work, may gain an Oscar nomination.
Awake - Completely absorbing. I did not anticipate the surprises as they piled up one after another.
Juno - A fresh, unusually intelligent comedy with dialogue so quick and funny you feel the actors are performing it on a high-wire.
The Walker - Paul Schrader’s best film since Affliction! With as fine a performance as Woody Harrelson has given.
The Golden Compass - **** It is superb. A darker, deeper fantasy epic than the Rings trilogy, Narnia or Potter films.
The Kite Runner - **** This is a magnificent film!
The Perfect Holiday - The Perfect Holiday is a big hearted romantic comedy…full of spirit and cheer!
Charlie Wilson’s War - Sharp-edged, wickedly funny comedy!

QUOTESBreaking and Entering - A sexy, thoughtful, smart film. Jude Law is fantastic, and there’s excellent work from everyone in the cast. A beautiful piece of work.
Seraphim Falls - Big thumbs up. Brosnan shines…One of the most intense and memorable performances of his career!
Breach - A brilliant and tense thriller with great performances and a story that’s even more amazing because it’s based in truth.
Black Snake Moan - Funny and dark, and really sexy.
300 - ****. If you want a nonstop thrill ride, here’s your ticket! It’s the Citizen Kane of cinematic graphic novels.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - A great film. Big thumbs up.
The Lookout - A masterpiece. I loved this movie. I cannot imagine how Scott Frank could have made his directorial debut any more impressive….Each scene is just so perfectly done.
The Hoax - It’s a terrific film.
Disturbia - A cool thriller with big scares.
Hot Fuzz - It does for the buddy-cop movie what Shaun of the Dead did to the zombie movie. It has more laughs per scene than any film of its kind since the Naked Gun movies. I thought it was hilarious.
In the Land of Women - A smart and bittersweet romantic comedy.
Diggers - A big thumbs up for me. I can’t recommend this movie enough.
Snow Cake - Performances are terrific…
Lucky You - Well-crafted and insightful. Lucky You gets it right.
Mr. Brooks - Thoroughly entertaining! Go see it! Kevin Costner gives one the best performances of his career.
Ocean’s Thirteen - It’s terrific! Really, really fun!
1408 - Riveting
A Mighty Heart - One of the best movies I’ve seen this year. Angelina Jolie gives one of the most commanding and moving performances of her career.
Live Free or Die Hard - Two hours of pure adrenaline! Willis is in top form in his career-defining role.
Rescue Dawn - A film you won’t soon forget.
Hairspray - It hits it right out of the park!
No End In Sight - It is essential viewing for any patriot.
The Ten - Really funny. Approached near Pythonesque genius with some of these skits. One of the funniest moments of the year.
Stardust - Stardust is truly original and a breath of fresh air – A lot of fun!
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - I loved this film.
The Hunting Party - A hell of a good time.
3:10 To Yuma - A hell of an entertaining western! A triumph of style, action and codes of honor among men.
Eastern Promises - The fight in the steam bath…is like nothing you’ve seen before.
The Brave One - The Brave One is sure to one of the most controversial movies of the year. It’s also one of the best.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - I love it! Powerful acting. This movie is so well done.
Trade - I was moved, I was involved.
The Darjeeling Limited - A very funny film with clever writing and really good acting.
Michael Clayton - I loved this movie.
Gone Baby Gone - One of the best films of 2007. It’s a pitch-perfect crime thriller. A career highlight for Casey Affleck and first time director Ben Affleck.
American Gangster - One of the best movies of the year. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington deliver equally powerful performances.
No Country for Old Men - Filled with suspense, pitch-black humor and one of the most memorable villains in recent cinema. I loved this film! The script never falters.
Beowulf - A lusty 3D thrill ride!
Stephen King’s The Mist - Wickedly entertaining. A thrill ride. Terrifying and fun.
Grace Is Gone - John Cusack gives one of the best performances of his career. The last five minutes of Grace is Gone are as powerful as anything I’ve seen in recent memory.
Juno - Destined to become a classic. One of my favorite films of the year and one that’s sure to endure as a smart-comedy classic.
I Am Legend - ****! Will Smith is in prime form.
Charlie Wilson’s War - A home run! I love this movie.

QUOTESFreedom Writers - Hilary Swank gives a powerhouse performance in this gripping film.
Seraphim Falls - ***1/2! Grand and mythic.
Norbit - Eddie Murphy’s comic skills are immense.
The Namesake - ****. A profound and beautiful film. Nair’s movie brims with intelligence, compassion and sensuous delight all the way from the Taj Mahal to Pearl Jam.
The Page Turner - A terrific femme fatale, so icy and manipulative that she begins to seem unstoppable.
Meet the Robinsons - Exhilarating! A real technical breakthrough.
Private Fears in Public Places - ****! One of the finest foreign films of the year so far. Every shot, movement and speech seems perfect.
Year of the Dog - A perfectly funny sincere salute to dog and pet lovers everywhere.
Lucky You - [an] expert piece that immerses us in another world.
Away from Her - ****! One of the most remarkable love stories the movies have recently given us.
Paris, je'Taime - ***1/2
Hollywood Dreams - Hollywood Dreams is terrific, smart, touching and funny!
The Bothersome Man - Full of cool imagery, by a moviemaker with a lot of talent._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:03 am; edited 6 times in total

QUOTESThe Lives of Others - Supremely intelligent. A suspenseful, ethically exacting drama, beautifully realized.
An Unreasonable Man - Riveting.
Bamako - Necessary viewing! Disarmingly beautiful…A fierce and unforgettable piece of political art.
Into Great Silence - Eloquent…I hesitate, given the early date and the project’s modesty, to call it one of the best films of the year. I prefer to think of it as the antidote to all of the others.
The Exterminating Angels - Seriously dirty. A suave and salacious new movie.
I Think I Love My Wife - Chris Rock has not only done his best work as a director and screenwriter but has also made an unusually insightful and funny mainstream American movie about the predicaments of modern marriage. Utterly spellbinding.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - (1) Enthralling…beautiful…alive. (2) As alive and as troubling as anything on the evening news, though far more thoughtful and beautiful.
The Hoax - Marvelously entertaining. It’s very funny. – Richard Gere is absolutely terrific.
Stephanie Daley - A gripping and…devastating story.
Red Road - Arresting…artful…poetic.
Hot Fuzz - It’s a blast!
Election - A first-rate entertainer who can thrill you into thinking.
Waitress - Satisfying and surprising…it is by turns tart and sweet, charming and tough…it is lovely, touching and infused with life.
Day Night Day Night - Impressive and terrifying. Cinematic realism pared down to hallucinatory intensity.
28 Weeks Later - Terrifying…Bracingly smart.
Once - Close to perfect.
Golden Door - A beautiful dream of a film.
Knocked Up - An instant classic! A comedy that captures the sexual confusion and moral ambivalence of our moment without straining, pandering or preaching.
12:08 East of Bucharest - Acutely funny!
Belle Toujours - Charming.
Black Sheep - Hilarious…Exuberant grotesquerie. An impressive feat of filmmaking.
In Between Days - Exquisite…A thrillingly self-assured first feature.
Lady Chatterley - Every frame of the movie seems alive: with risk, with pleasure, with a sensuality that is both wild and intelligent.
Sicko - Sicko is Michael Moore’s funniest movie to date!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Sleek, swift and exciting.
Talk To Me - Funny, earnest and affectionate.
Live-In Maid - Exquisite!
Hairspray - So joyful, so full of enthusiasm. It imagines a world where no one is an outsider and no one is a square, and invites everyone in. How can you refuse?
No End In Sight - An absolutely vital film. Exacting, enraging and revelatory. A clear, temperate and devastating account of high level arrogance and incompetence..
The Simpsons Movie - I’d be willing to watch it…20 or 30 more times. A very funny movie.
Eastern Promises - …Likely to stay in your head for a long time.
Great World of Sound - Subtle, funny and touching, with a striking downbeat authenticity. Director Craig Zobel is the real thing.
In the Valley of Elah - (quoted on theater standee)
Into the Wild - Stunning images of the American landscape. Epic resonance in a tale of youthful wandering…infused with an expansive, almost giddy sense of possibility.
The Kingdom - A high-octane action movie.
The Darjeeling Limited - A treasure.
My Kid Could Paint That - An excellent documentary.
Terror’s Advocate - (1) Jaw-dropping. If pitched to a Hollywood studio, the story would have been dismissed as crazily implausible. It works brilliantly as a documentary, with a narrative all the more amazing for being true. (2) Astonishing…one of the most engaging morally unsettling political thrillers in quite some time
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - A terrific success!
Wristcutters: A Love Story - ****
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten - Marvelous…It’s much more than a biography. It’s history, criticism, philosophy and politics, played fast and loud.
Bee Movie - Funny, thrilling…
No Country for Old Men - Allow me my moment of bliss at the sheer brilliance of the Coens technique…Your attention is completely and ecstatically absorbed. Seamlessly imagined.
Margot at the Wedding - Margot at the Wedding plunges you into a hectic world of eccentricity and a web of dysfunction that threatens, at times, to reach beyond the screen and ensnare the audience. Frequently brilliant – mercilessly, squirm-inducingly funny. Mr. Baumbach has an unfailing ear for the idioms of the intelligentsia and an acute sense of family politics. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black have never been better.
I’m Not There - I’m Not There is a profoundly personal & passionate film. I would not subtract a minute of this movie or make it any different.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - …Exuberant as well as poignant…Astonishing. A remarkably rich experience.
Starting Out in the Evening - Wonderful. One of my favorite performances this year…Marvelous…Remarkable. There are not too many screen performances that manage to be both subtle and monumental.
Youth Without Youth - Youth Without Youth is evidently the work of a master. A curious blend of romance, mystery and philosophical speculation.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Sweeney Todd is a work of extreme genius. Its power comes from its bracing refusal of any sentimental consolation._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:35 am; edited 25 times in total

QUOTESSeraphim Falls - A handsome, old fashioned western drama of pursuit, revenge and forgiveness.
Puccini for Beginners - A screwball comedy of sexual confusion.
Unconscious - A delirious bedroom farce…Very funny…Bracingly literate.
Avenue Montaigne - A delicious Robert Altman-like mosaic. The elegant, worldly movie leaves you with the satisfied glow of sharing a healthful nouvelle repast with stimulating company and topping it off with the best Champagne.
Factory Girl - Sienna Miller gives a furious, thrashing performance.
Wild Tigers I Have Known - A surreal masturbatory fantasy!
Beyond the Gates - Packs a punch…John Hurt has never been better.
The Namesake - A crackling star performance by Kal Penn.
First Snow - A noirish thriller that revels in ominous visual moods! A mind-teaser!
Color Me Kubrick - A sly, knowing comedy, with a perfectly cast John Malkovich.
The Page Turner - …chilly psychological thriller.
The TV Set - A sharp, funny satire. The TV Set features an award-worthy performance by Sigourney Weaver. An exceptionally witty portrayal.
Blades of Glory - Will Ferrell is a ferocious marshmallow.
Lonely Hearts - A triumph for Travolta!
The Valet - A delectable comedy! A sinfully delicious bonbon! Francis Veber is a master of the modern French farce.
Diggers - A quintessential American independent movie.
Away from Her - Beautifully-acted…Julie Christie is radiant!
Paris, je Ta’ime - A gem! The Eiffel Tower sparkles and the banks of the Seine are an inviting lovers’ rendezvous.
Brooklyn Rules - Authentic and heartfelt…Laced with vicious jolts.
The Boss of It All - Very funny. An acidic corporate comedy…deadpan farce.
La Vie en Rose - The most astonishing immersion of one performer into the body and soul of another I’ve ever encountered in a film.
Ten Canoes - Mesmerizing!
Lights in the Dusk - Haunting!
Lady Chatterley - A rapturous visual tone poem in which the images of the forest…and the couple’s lovemaking converge in a pantheistic delirium.
My Best Friend - A smart, acidic French comedy about the meaning of friendship.
Blame It On Fidel - Smart…charming!
Becoming Jane - Becoming Jane is a triumph for Anne Hathaway, who brings to the young Jane the same kittery wide-eyed intensity she displayed in The Devil Wears Prada.
2 Days in Paris - Audacious! A biting romantic comedy…reveals more about emotional and sexual chemistry than any film I can recall.
Resurrecting the Champ - Samuel L. Jackson’s champ is entirely convincing and frequently incandescent.
The Nines - A philosophical mind teaser with satirical fangs.
Romance & Cigarettes - A passionate ode to the sensual pulse of life. A song-and-dance Sopranos. Ms. Winslet shoots the moon as a trash-talking lingerie clerk…who looks hot enough to burst into flames. Crudely funny. A blue-ribbon cast…clearly having the time of its life. Prudes, be forewarned. A movie in which a dirty mind is a good thing…call it The Singing Id. The excitement is contagious.
Across the Universe - Extraordinary. Across the Universe captured my heart. I fell in love with this movie. It convinces you that love is all you need.
King of California - A fable about nonconformity and pursuing your impossible dream to the very end. Michael Douglas gives his strongest performance since Wonder Boys.
The Jane Austen Book Club - An entertaining, carefully assembled piece of clockwork.
The Man of My Life - Elegant!
Broken - Well acted…A tour de force…gets inside the skin.
Protagonist - Enthralling!
The Walker - Woody Harrleson executes a spectacular pirouette away from his usual hot-wired renegades.
Persepolis - An unqualified triumph. The movie is so enthralling.

New York Times Article (10/12/04)
By Lloyd Grove

Ever wonder just how powerful The New York Times is?
Apparently powerful enough to abort a screening for two dozen movie reviewers from other outlets yesterday to accommodate the tight schedule of Times critic Stephen Holden.
Yesterday my esteemed colleague, Daily News film critic Jack Mathews, was in the crowd at the Broadway Screening Room in midtown - watching the Lions Gate release "Eulogy," which opens Friday - when the projectionist summarily halted the movie.
Critics' screenings, once begun, are almost never stopped. "It's never happened to me in 20 years of screenings," said Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Sheck, who was in the theater. "It's highly unusual."
Why this unprecedented step?
An apologetic publicist explained to the annoyed critics that because the announced 10:30 a.m. screening had started 20 minutes behind schedule, they couldn't show the final reel, because it would prevent a noon screening of Miramax's "Shall We Dance" from starting on time.
"There were about 25 to 30 people in the room, all of us equally bewildered," Mathews told me, noting that screenings seldom if ever start on time. "I said to the publicist, 'Whose fault is it?' She said something about Miramax, whose movie I assume was coming up. But when I pressed her to tell me who's sitting out there who can't wait, she said it was The New York Times' Stephen Holden."
Mathews continued: "I walked out and asked Holden, 'You can't wait 15 minutes?' He said, 'I can't, I have something at 2.' I said, 'Why can't you be inconvenienced instead of all these people?' He didn't answer, and I left."
Yesterday Holden didn't return my phone call and publicists for Lions Gate and Miramax argued that the Timesman shouldn't be fingered because a dozen others were waiting to see "Shall We Dance." But unofficially, a studio publicist told Mathews that the trouble occurred because "another journalist," namely Holden, "had another screening to see."_________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:08 pm; edited 20 times in total

QUOTESAlpha Dog - Alpha Dog is about the allure of youth, the erotics of violence and the inevitable comeuppance that must always be meted out whenever youth strays too far from the fold.
Regular Lovers - Magnificent.
The Italian - A dark fairy tale from Russia…pulls you into a richly atmospheric, persuasively inhabited world teeming with foundlings and pathos.
Antibodies - Slick as blood, cold as ice.
Breach - A thriller that manages to excite and unnerve.
Amazing Grace - Pleasing and often moving…Wilberforce is…a true believer, a crusader, a man of action…he’s at once pure and seductive, a dashing, romantic figure…unfailingly attractive.
Into Great Silence - Engrossing, entrancing…
Zodiac - Fincher’s polished technique can leave you slack-jawed, as can his scrupulous attention to detail. The film is at once sprawling and tightly constructed, opaque and meticulously detailed. Informed by history and steeped in pulp fiction, Zodiac stars a trio of beauties – Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo – all at the top of their performance game.
The Host - A terrific hybrid-genre fantasy and a seriously scary freakout.
The Exterminating Angels - Raunch of the most decorous kind.
Year of the Dog - Willfully goes against the grain. A touching comedy. Year of the Dog is exactly the kind of story you would expect Mr. White to make for his directing debut. It’s funny ha-ha but firmly in touch with its downer side, which means it’s also funny in a kind of existential way.
Hot Fuzz - Think of it as The Full Monty blown to smithereens.
Triad Election - One of the greatest action directors working in the world…
Brand Upon the Brain! - One of the 10 best films of the year.
Private Property - Has the pulse of an emotional thriller. The beauty of this admirably modest and emotionally true film is that, no matter how profound the cruelty, Lafosse and his actors never let us forget the love.
Paprika - A gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery…A mind-twisting, eye-tickling wonder.
Ocean’s Thirteen - Ah, bliss, the gang’s all here. The third time really is a charm.
Fido - Ticklishly amusing…It won’t make you bleed, just howl.
Gypsy Caravan - Too many rich stories…too much great music! Could hardly be better!
You Kill Me - Consistently funny. Never misses a beat.
A Mighty Heart - …A Mighty Heart is effectively fashioned, as jolting as it is polished…
Live Free or Die Hard - Adrenaline-pumping!
Sunshine - …Boyle and his screenwriter, Alex Garland, goose their science fiction with action-and-horror-genre beats, increasingly turning up the chills and thrills.
This Is England - A near-flawless gem…a soulful blast from the past sparked by heart and a throbbing beat.
The Devil Came on Horseback - Demands to be seen as soon as possible and by as many viewers as possible!
Great World of Sound - It feels like a throwback in the best possible way.
The Last Winter - Elegantly restrained horror…Feverishly real, terrifying. Larry Fessenden is among the most thoughtful Americans working on the lower-budget end of this oft-abused and mindlessly corrupted genre.
Michael Clayton - Intelligent and absorbing; it entertains without shame.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - The Golden Age has sweep and momentum…Irresistibly watchable Cate Blanchett.
Gone Baby Gone - Amy Ryan gives a gutsy, sensational performance.
War Dance - Heart-rending!
Lions for Lambs - Mr. Cruise pours on his characteristic intensity and lights up the board with alternating flashes of charm, sincerity, gravity, indignation and outrage.
Southland Tales - Funny, audacious and feverishly inspired…with some ideas, visual and intellectual, in a single scene than most American independent films have in their entirety.
Enchanted - Delightful.
I’m Not There - A tour de force!
The Savages - The Savages’…left me with a sense of acute pleasure, even joy. It’s the pleasure of a true-to-life tale told by a director and actors who’ve sunk so deep into their movie together you wonder how they ever surfaced.
The Golden Compass - Wickedly well-cast Nicole Kidman is the film;s most spectacular special effect…She pours across the screen like liquid gold.
Youth Without Youth - …A narratively ambitious, visually sumptuous surrealist enterprise in which he has tried to bend time and space together as neatly as the folds in an origami swan._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:49 am; edited 18 times in total

QUOTESPuccini for Beginners - Refreshing, …witty
Music and Lyrics - A perfect warm-hearted antidote to the winter blahs. Grant and Barrymore demonstrate a chemistry that is rare in most of today’s comedies.
Breach - A tough, bare-knuckle film that holds you captive from start to finish. Chris Cooper is magnificent and Ryan Phillippe gets the role of his career.
The Astronaut Farmer - Billy Bob Thornton is so good, so charming and so inspired that he makes dreamers of us all.
Zodiac - Stark, terrifying and magnificently directed. One of the darkest, creepiest and most tantalizing thrillers I have seen in years.
Beyond the Gates - Keeps you engrossed! A valuable contribution to the power of the cinema of truth!
The TV Set - One of the smartest, nastiest, funniest and most truthful send-ups of television network programming ever made. A combination of Network and The Player. If it wasn’t so hilarious, it would also be heartbreaking.
Black Book - ****! A dazzling and spectacular cinematic triumph! I have seen it three times – I plan to see it again.
Disturbia - Guaranteed to make you scream out loud. Disturbia is one thriller that truly earns the label.
Fracture - An exceptionally suspenseful nail-biter with a shocking conclusion.
In the Land of Women - Remarkable! It will steal your heart away!
Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman - Fascinating! Timothy Spall is perfect.
La Vie En Rose - A triumph you will want to see again and again. ****. One of the most devastating, inspired and breath-taking performances in film history.
Evening - One of the most iconic casts of artists ever assembled! Evening is a superbly acted, well-made and something of a rarity. I can’t remember an ensemble cast with so much emotional power.
Rescue Dawn - Bale gives the performance of his life. One of the most relentlessly exciting, white-knuckle Vietnam epics ever made. Astounding.
Joshua - A taut and suspenseful thriller with wonderful acting and intelligent, understated direction that add up to a film of extraordinary skill and perception, with a refreshing absence of clichés.
If I Didn’t Care - Blithely written and carefully directed by the talented Cummings brothers, Benjamin and Orson!
The Hottest State - Hawke knows how to direct actors with sensitivity and grace.
The Brave One - The Brave One is truly one of the great movies of 2007! Powerful, captivating, brilliant.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - An impressive, majestic achievement. Brad Pitt is unforgettable.
Into the Wild - Positively amazing…Fresh, riveting, and profoundly moving.
The Jane Austen Book Club - A sweet romantic comedy as bracing as a daiquiri. Very entertaining!
Sleuth - Wickedly entertaining! A shrewdly entertaining tour de force.
Rendition - ***1/2 Witherspoon gives the best performance of her career. Streep is chilling.
Things We Lost in the Fire - A wonderful heartfelt experience. Things We Lost in the Fire raises the level of strong filmmaking to new heights of achievement. The emotional optimism this film generously conveys is hugely rewarding.
Reservation Road - Breathless entertainment! Suspenseful! Nothing happens the way you think it will! Wonderfully nuanced work from the cast. Directed by master storyteller Terry George.
No Country for Old Men - A masterpiece. I found myself dazed, dazzled and overwhelmed.
Stephen King’s The Mist - Extraordinary! The Mist delivers thrills wholesale.
Man In The Chair - At a time when most films wallow in mankind’s basest instincts, Man in the Chair is a rare, once-in-a-blue-moon kind of movie that celebrates the best qualities in people and makes you applaud the human race.
Atonement - ****. Atonement is everything a true lover of movies could possibly hope for. It is unquestionably, without any reservations, my favorite film of the year. Elegantly directed, meticulously acted by a perfect cast and lavishly filmed with a respect for both intimate detail and sweeping narrative. An overwhelming experience that has revived my faith in motion pictures. The genuinely talented Joe Wright does an engrossing job of turning literature into cinematic poetry. The sets and costumes stagger the imagination. James McAvoy gives a heart-rending performance of strength and integrity. Saoirse Ronan and Romola Garai are remarkable. A revelation of the potential power of cinema to twist, mould, convince and entertain.

Quote From Rex Reed:
“And so I Heart Huckabees may not be the worst movie ever made, depending on how you feel about such hollow, juvenile and superficial trash as Brewster McCloud, Hudson Hawk, Punch-Drunk Love, Mulholland Drive, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost Highway, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and … well, as they said in Hollywood during the McCarthy witch hunts, "the list goes on."

The egomaniacal young director-producer-writer David O. Russell is a member of the new group of anarchists that includes Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Jonze, freaky Todd Solondz and the dismally overrated non-writer Charlie Kaufman, who wins critical praise for writing incoherent movies about why he can’t write coherent movies.”_________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:09 pm; edited 15 times in total

QUOTESThe Hoax - Hugely entertaining. Richard Gere gives the performance of his career.
Away from Her - One of the year’s finest and most memorable films. Julie Christie is simply astounding…it’s the sort of performance that wins Oscars.
Crazy Love - Astounding
A Mighty Heart - Angelina Jolie is guaranteed a Best Actress nomination.
You Kill Me - Priceless! Will leave you in stitches! You Kill Me belongs to Ben Kingsley! He really kills!
Broken English - Parker Posey is a delight throughout and Zoe Casssevetes is clearly a filmmaker to watch. (actual spelling NY Times 7/6/07)
Live Free or Die Hard - Crowd pleasing, wisecracking, butt-kicking.
Hairspray - **** A great screen musical that will have audiences dancing in their seats for decades to come.
Rocket Science - Hilarious
Delirious - Delirious hits the bullseye…with razor-sharp performances and dialog.
Shoot ‘Em Up - The season’s first guilty pleasure.
Eastern Promises - A Russian Godfather. The suspense builds to almost unbearable levels! A fascinating world. Director David Cronenberg subverts genre expectations with every plot twist. This is Viggo Mortensen’s best and richest performance.
Ira & Abby - A formidable crowd-pleaser.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Lavish and entertaining.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - **** The season’s first must-see! The masterful Philip Seymour Hoffman has a shot at Best Actor in Lumet’s darkly humorous crime thriller. Lumet’s best and sharpest flick since Prince in the City. (Actual wording NY Times 10/21)
American Gangster - American Gangster ranks alongside the great gangster movies as well as the great New York movies.
No Country for Old Men - **** A masterpiece. A stunning achievement in storytelling.
The Savages - Expect Oscar nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney…the actors are pitch-perfect – and darkly hilarious.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - **** Amazing! You won’t have a more emotional experience this year. I’ve seen it twice and will gladly watch it again.
Grace Is Gone - John Cusack is brilliant.
Juno - ****
Atonement - The most achingly romantic movie since Titanic. Stupdendous performances, stupendous directing, stupendous writing, stupendous production values and the most dazzling twist ending since The Sixth Sense. I can’t think of anything in the last 10 years that comes close._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:40 am; edited 10 times in total

CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Morgenstern for his 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism

QUOTESThe Lives of Others - A terrific tale. As timely as it is timeless.
Breach - Intelligent. You’ll remember Mr. Cooper’s performance for exactly what it is, an uncompromising study in the gradual decay of a soul.
Amazing Grace - Ioan Gruffudd is excellent!
Starter for 10 - A delightful romantic comedy…Smart, lively.
The Namesake - A glory on a huge colorful canvas. Strikingly original, heartfelt, superbly acted and profoundly satisfying.
Blades of Glory - Will Ferrell scores!
After the Wedding - Thrilling! All but bursts with outsize passions.
The Hoax - Alfred Molina is sensationally funny.
Fracture - A hugely entertaining thriller! Genuinely smart, pulsing with energy and sly wit.
Waitress - Writer-director Adrienne Shelly took such perishable ingredients as wit, daring, poignancy, whimsy and romance, added passionate feelings plus the constant possibility of joy, decorated her one-of-a-kind production with pastel colors and created a delicious comedy that is close to perfection.
28 Weeks Later - Thrilling.
Angel-A - A source of delight!
Paris, je Ta’ime - Stunning. A perfect example of how a film can stir the soul.
Knocked Up - Knocked Up is a cause for celebration. It will be a huge hit.
La Vie En Rose - Enthralling.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - More fun than the original.
A Mighty Heart - Angelina Jolie gives a fierce and astute performance as Mariane Pearl.
Ratatouille - Brilliant. Inspired. The animation is astonishing.
Live Free or Die Hard - Smart. Terrific entertainment.
Ira & Abby - Amazing…Stunningly funny! Ira and Abby is a madcap gem.
Eastern Promises - Marvelous. Viggo Mortensen is flat-out brilliant. Played with lovely urgency by Naomi Watts.
Into the Wild - From seductive start to shattering finish, the film is as stirring, entertaining and steadfastly thrilling as it is beautiful. If you thought you had a sense of Vince Vaughn’s range, wait until you see his delicious turn a Dakota farmer.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Cate Blanchett can do no wrong.
Lars and the Real Girl - It’s nothing less than a miracle…an almost perfect movie with flawless performances.
American Gangster - A great big gangster film. The direction is impeccable.
No Country for Old Men - A spectacular thriller.
Beowulf - Eye-popping 3D! Beowulf is a thrilling spectacle with sumptuous visuals, a smart script and spirited performances.
The Golden Compass - The Golden Compass looks magical.
Atonement - Romantic, sensuous and intelligent. The cast is uniformly excellent.
Juno - A wonderfully surprising comedy filled with crisp wit and radiating warmth._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:44 am; edited 15 times in total

QUOTESThe Lives of Others - Comes to town laden with deserved honors! To create such a subtle yet gripping world is an accomplishment worthy of all those awards, and more.
Breach - Filled with tension, deception and bravura acting. Breach is a crackling tale of real-life espionage that doubles as a compelling psychological drama.
Amazing Grace - Moving, visually striking and inspiring!
The Page Turner - An impeccably made psychological melodrama…The iciest version of delayed vengeance yet.
Into Great Silence - A transcendent, transporting experience.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Thrilling!
Shooter - Mark Wahlberg is Shooter and that is a good thing.
The Lookout - A real pleasure to watch……a skillfull thriller.
Stephanie Daley - This delicate and involving character study is defined by the excellent acting from Amber Tamblyn.
Zoo - Elegant. Strange and strangely beautiful.
The Valet - A deliciously funny comedy! Difficult to resist!
Jindabyne - A powerful tale!
Away from Her - A beautifully done film made with delicacy and classic virtues.
Once - Do you believe in magic? Do you think small can be beautiful? Are you looking for a little film you can make your own, an enchanting, unpretentious blend of music and romance you can watch forever? If you do, Once is about to come into your life and make it whole…the music is so rich and completely satisfying and the characters so appealing, Once makes us believe that this is all happening right in front of our eyes. We fall for each of these young people at the precise moment they falling for each other, and what could be better than that?
A Mighty Heart - Hopeful.
Lady Chatterley - The most frankly sensual movie in memory.
Live Free or Die Hard - A slick piece of action entertainment, fast-moving with energetic stunt work and nice thriller moves.
Ratatouille - Genuinely smart and sophisticated…Imaginative, good spirited and funny.
Sunshine - A nail-bitingly tense science-fiction thriller.
Deep Water - Gripping and powerful! A stirring, hair-raising adventure and jaw-dropping twists! If you want to know why documentaries are increasingly capturing audiences’ imaginations, this is a good place to start.
In the Shadow of the Moon - An enthralling film! Riveting! Will capture you entirely!
3:10 To Yuma - Has a visceral, immediate quality that makes it realistic and mythic all at the same time.
Lust, Caution - Lust, Caution gets under your skin. Tony Leung is excellent. The film’s breakout performance is by Tang Wei, who brings a shocking intensity and a remarkable range of emotions to the table. Intense, psychologically intricate.
Michael Clayton - Michael Clayton comes completely alive on screen.
Terror’s Advocate - (1) Smart and sophisticated. Perhaps the most fascinating film at the Cannes Film Festival. (2) …if (Verges) didn’t exist, someone would be obliged to invent him. – Kenneth Turan
Lars and the Real Girl - The most completely enjoyable film around…will sweep you off your feet.
Dan In Real Life - Carell is one of today’s hottest comedy actors. A star driven, sophisticated romantic comedy successfully aimed at certifiable adults.
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - Excellent and engrossing!
American Gangster - A finely made and richly satisfying film. Ridley Scott and Steven Zaillian are two of the best at what they do. American Gangster continues the tradition of sweeping, old-school epic filmmaking. It is a tribute to the complexity and drama of Zaillian’s character-driven script to Scott’s commanding grasp of large-scale visuals and sweeping storytelling. American Gangster is impressive.
War Dance - Very moving!
Darfur Now - Forceful and persuasive.
No Country for Old Men - Completely gripping…A film that you can’t stop watching…Tommy Lee Jones gives one of the great performances of his career…Javier Bardem gives a chillingly effective performance. Josh Brolin gives what will surely be a career-making charismatic performance.
Margot at the Wedding - While some writer-directors have a voice, Noah Baumbach’s ability to make people live and breathe is so formidable it’s more appropriate to say that he hears voices…played with an uncompromising fearlessness by Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Starting Out in the Evening - Intelligent, involving and conspiculously adult.
Enchanted - Enchanted is as good as its name.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - …Remarkable and moving…
Protagonist - Wonderfully accomplished.
The Golden Compass - Ian McKellen’s captivating performance might be the most memorable voice work since James Earl Jones took on Darth Vader. Fascinating and involving._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:01 am; edited 17 times in total

Hollywood Elsewhere 2/4/03 (Movie Poop Shoot)"Owen Gleiberman, hands down, is the biggest nutter. He strikes me as someone who feels he needs to be contrarian to have any street cred; I don't trust that he reacts authentically to a film." – New York magazine editor.

"Owen Gleiberman's taste worries me. I often use it as a reverse litmus test!" – Manhattan-based writer/filmmaker

QUOTESSmokin’ Aces - A thrill ride. The sort of entertainment that people with genuine talent now make.
An Unreasonable Man - Grade A! Thrilling, haunting, perceptive and beautifully made!
Zodiac - A! Zodiac is a vastly intricate and dazzing drama.
The Namesake - A marvelous and moving cross-cultural family saga that is also funny, empathetic, and sexy.
Color Me Kubrick - A delectable, irresistibly droll film.
Grindhouse - It will leave you laughing, gasping, thrilled at a movie that knows how to put the bad back in badass!
Vacancy - Vacancy is truly scary!
Waitress - Keri Russell is totally irresistible. A vibrant and uplifting comedy.
Paris, je Ta’ime - A- Enchanting!
Once - Just about everyone with a heartbeat has had this tingly experience. You’re at a movie, and a song, as if by magic, breaks through the surface of the drama. Suddenly, you’re no longer sitting and watching – you’re soaring. But until Once, I’m not sure that I’d ever seen a nonstylized kitchen sink drama in which the songs take on the majesty and devotion of a musical dream.
Crazy Love - I was hooked. So spectacularly perverse, yet the film stays so close to the personalities involved that you don’t feel dirty – you feel cleansed. It’s a freak show of a fairy tale rendered by a filmmaker who knows how to pierce tabloid reality right in its anguished bloody heart.
Ocean’s Thirteen - (1) A comedy with attitude. A delectably elaborate and savory soufflé. (2) Steven Soderbergh's delectably elaborate...mother-of-all-scams sequel.
La Vie En Rose - Hurtling and impassioned…A true experience.
Steel City - Quietly absorbing and incisive.
1408 - A roller coaster of a head trip.
Ghosts of Cite Soleil - A spectacularly turbulent portrait! I felt as though I were seeing some jagged new form of video-raw existential storytelling.
Joshua - Something vitally new…that has cool and savvy fun with your fears…a superbly crafted psychological thriller.
Talk To Me - Don Cheadle is marvelous!
Hairspray - The happiest movie of the summer…The climactic number, You Can’t Stop the Beat, sends you out on a high.
No End In Sight - A coolheaded, devastating expose. It leaves you furious, yet offers the catharsis of cold, hard truth.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Dazzling. A spectacular thriller!
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - Funny and madly arresting.
In the Shadow of the Moon - Grade: A! Transporting!
The Hunting Party - A rowdy, sharp-edged celebration.
Great World of Sound - A-. A terrific, funny, sad movie.
In the Valley of Elah - It’s the first Hollywood Iraq movie to remind me of a Vietnam film like Coming Home.
Trade - An eye-opening bulletin.
Control - Sam Riley is mesmerizing.
Sleuth - The two actors don’t just feast, they tear and bite into the unctuous nastiness of their roles.
Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains - A gripping meditation on the very hot-button-ness of the Israeli-Palestinian question. Carter himself emerges as a furious contradiction: pious, provocative, compassionate, stubborn, moral, unreasonable, and wise.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - Grade A! Mesmerizing! Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke give seismic performances. Directed by Sidney Lumet with the vigor and cunning and wide-awake electricitiy of a virtuoso half his age.
Dan In Real Life - The film is so winning…A comedy of faith that, in its wised-up feel-good way, restores yours.
Bee Movie - Bedazzling.
Lions for Lambs - The writing ignites familiar issues with vigor and snap.
I’m Not There - Exhilarating!_________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:07 am; edited 16 times in total

QUOTESAlone with Her - Intriguing!
The Astronaut Farmer - There’s no one I’d rather see orbiting the earth than Thornton, who plays the part with the earnest seriousness required for the mission.
The Lives of Others - A real nail biter of a thriller!
The Host - Wildly entertaining! The thinking person’s monster movie.
Beyond the Gates - Powerful! John Hurt is magnetic!
Offside - Girls just want to have fun…But that’s not easy in Iran. A wonderfully funny, outspoken shaggy-dog story!
After the Wedding - Grade a-! Outstanding…A rich weepie.
The Hoax - Richard Gere is terrific.
Private Fears in Public Places - Masterful
The TV Set - Very smart, very funny! A cut-glass gem. A crackerjack cast.
Year of the Dog - Exceptional.
Election - Riveting!
Rescue Dawn - A triumphant Werner Herzog movie. Christian Bale is brilliant Steve Zahn is a revelation
My Best Friend - Irresistibly winning! Unspools in the best tradition of Gallic farce.
The Simpsons Movie - Sweetly cradles one great American family. The best thing about this long-awaited feature-length project, a classic Simpsonian interplay of family psychology, social commentary, and brainy visual and verbal jokes tossed off at rat-a-tat speed, is how relaxed it manages to be, even as it expands, emotionally, to fill a bigger screen. This is a project that understands that the best TV-to-movie transitions emphasize depth, not length.
Right at Your Door - One of the scariest movies you’re likely to see all year!
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - (1) Masterful. Casey Affleck is a revelation. (2) A haunting retelling of one of the enduring outlaw sagas in American culture.
Reservation Road - A deft, satisfying thriller! A remarkable climzx. The wonder is that Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo haven’t been paired before.
Wristcutters: A Love Story - A deadpan delight.
War Dance - The cinematography is striking! The music is mesmerizing!
No Country for Old Men - A stirring success. Josh Brolin gives a vivid and intense performance. Javier Bardem has a thrilling ability to truly terrify…
Margot at the Wedding - Nicole Kidman gives a great performance in an astute movie that searches for psychological truth at the expense of comfort. A pleasurable/painful thumb-press on the bruises of family dynamics. Nicole Kidman is really sensational here.
Starting Out in the Evening - Towering work from Langella – A performance bound for awards.
The Savages - The Savages is terrific…a movie of uncommon appreciation for the nature and nurture that go into making us who we are, a perfectly colibrated drama both compassionate and unsentimental. As brother and sister, Jon and Wendy Savage, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney – two of the most focused, natural actors working today – are in peak unfettered, joyous collaboration of great chamber musicians. The Savages is brusingly funny in the damnedest places, the way life is. Yes, it’s okay to laugh. A savage wit can do wonders. Grade: A.
Protagonist - Intricate, novel, and altogether fascinating! Truly stranger than fiction, and awesome, too…
Atonement - An ending of such power and narrative originality that those who know it ought never breathe a word of it to those who don’t.
Persepolis - I was thrilled by Persepolis, a brilliant animated version of Marjane Satrapi’s spirited autobiographical novels. Easily one of the most successful comic-book-page-to-screen translations I’ve seen, fluid and inventive.
The Band’s Visit - A global charmer…Light and welcome as a bouquet of balloons. The filmmaker maneuvers a path of surprising freshness – sweet but never syrupy, funny but never condescending, hopeful but never unrealistic._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:23 am; edited 17 times in total

QUOTESGod Grew Tired of Us - ***1/2
Alpha Dog - Gut-wrenching!
The Lives of Others - ****!
Music and Lyrics - An enjoyable romantic treat.
Breach - Phillippe. Nerve-racking and riveting…a compelling, intelligent drama.
Starter for 10 - ***1/2…refreshingly funny, poignant, and thoroughly entertaining…
Zodiac - An unusually haunting and compelling horror film. Masterfully directed by David Fincher, Zodiac grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
The Namesake - The Namesake elicits laughter and tears in its profound and emotionally resonant family portrait.
Pride - Shows how an ordinary man can do something extraordinary.
The Lookout - ***1/2! A haunting, engrossing and intelligent thriller. Director Scott Frank spins a web of intrigue and deceit, artfully blending pulse-stopping, nerve-jangling suspense with sharp dialogue and nuanced portrayals. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance is captivating.
The Hoax - ***1/2 – Highly entertaining.
Disturbia - A smart and well-acted thriller that serves up lively scares.
Fracture - A thriller that is stylishly directed, compelling and surprisingly funny. A bona fide cinematic treat that plays out with intelligence and wit.
Snow Cake - Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal is both subtle and powerful. Alan Rickman also is excellent.
Year of the Dog - Engaging
Waitress - An irresistible helping of delicious fun!
The Wendell Baker Story - Darkly funny…Entertaining…A light and enjoyable comic romp.
Spider-Man 3 - ...solidly entertaining and possesses dazzling special effects...
Paris, je Ta’ime - Delightful and enchanting. It’s hard not to love this valentine to the planet’s most romantic city.
Once - Once is a winning and negaging portrait of two people’s powerful connection through music. While the two main performances are honest aond convincing, forgoing the stilted feel of classic musicals, the unequivocal highlight is the collection of songs, which range from lilting to haunting…Once is a film for anyone who has ever been transported by the power and passion of music.
Crazy Love - Crazy Love is pulp non-fiction…simultaneously disturbing and luridly entertaining.
Ocean’s Thirteen - The best of the summer ‘threequels’ Breezy, clever fun.
A Mighty Heart - Suspenseful. A Mighty Heart deserves a place alongside the best films that seek to re-create a shattering time in our recent history.
Ratatouille - Delicious fun. Sure to be savored by audiences of all ages.
Sicko - Powerful
Transformers - Sheer fun and excitement that will appeal to the kid in all of us...Transformers is prime summer entertainment. Spectacular
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Enchanting. Big thrills.
Introducing the Dwights - Funny and poignant...
Talk To Me - Don Cheadle is mesmerizing.
Hairspray - A rousing and rambunctious movie spectacle.
The Simpsons Movie - Clever plot and non-stop irreverent humor.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Easily the best action thriller of the year!
Becoming Jane - Becoming Jane is superbly written and well-acted.
Rocket Science - Smart, witty and blessedly unpredictable.
Death at a Funeral - ***1/2!...Uproariously funny…The funniest movie ever set in such a deadly serious setting…
Shoot ‘Em Up - …Eye poppingly cool
Eastern Promises - Mesmerizing and provocative! If you are drawn to taut thrillers with fascinating characters portrayed skillfully, Eastern Promises is just the ticket!
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - **** Riveting!
In the Valley of Elah - Jones gives the best performances of his career.
The Jane Austen Book Club - Entertaining and endearing.
Trade - A compelling look at a serious global problem.
The Kingdom - Unrelenting, pulse-pounding action.
Lust, Caution - Ang Lee is undeniably one of the finest directors in modern cinema.
The Heartbreak Kid - The Farrelly Brothers are back…Ben Stiller is perfect!
Michael Clayton - **** Michael Clayton bristles with fierce intensity.
Lars and the Real Girl - An irresistibly original tale of love.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Sumptuous. Blanchett is as superb here as she was the first time around.
Gone Baby Gone - ***1/2 Just great. Bravo to director Ben Affleck for his impressive work. It poses a fascinating moral dilemma.
American Gangster - The best gangster crime drama of the year. The movie’s captivating power hinges on two dead-on performances.
No Country for Old Men - As powerful and thought-provoking as it is genre-bending. One can’t help but be uplifted by the mesmerizing quality of the filmmaking and the masterful performances.
August Rush - Captivating.
Enchanted - Irresistible.
The Savages - Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are two of the most talented actors of their generation, yet even with their impressive resumes, this is a tour de force for both of them.
Juno - ****
Charlie Wilson’s War - Charlie Wilson’s War starts off blazing and doesn’t let up.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Run to Walk Hard. Exuberant and fun._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:22 am; edited 23 times in total

Quote from Miss Adams in the CNN piece on Criticwatch (08/28/03): "The expectation [of the studios] is that [reviewers will] come up with something quotable in one sentence," says Us magazine reviewer Thelma Adams. "It's part of the give-and-take." There are also the reviewers who "will say anything to get their name in the paper," she continues. "They won't go out of their way to write a positive review, but ... they'll play ball" for the glory of their own words in extra-large type, publication duly noted. "It's free advertising for your publication," she adds. “

QUOTESGod Grew Tired of Us - ***1/2
The Lives of Others - ****!
Music and Lyrics - Funny and enchanting! Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore have great chemistry.
The Astronaut Farmer - Inspirational.
Zodiac - A sharply realized true-crime thriller. The actors deliver compelling, intense and detailed performances.
The Reaping - The Reaping delivers some serious scares.
Lonely Hearts - Salma sizzles!
Hot Fuzz - Outrageous! Uproariously funny!
The Treatment - ***1/2! A refreshing, smart-alecky, romantic comedy.
Eagle vs. Shark - ***1/2 A funky romantic comedy.
A Mighty Heart - Michael Winterbottom urgently directs with a thriller’s pace. Jolie’s performance is complex, sophisticated…and a sure thing for an Oscar nomination.
Live Free or Die Hard - Funny and thrill-filled.
Evening - Packed with great performances.
Joshua - A sophisticated horror story with significant scares.
Talk To Me - Provocative! Don Cheadle gives a high-octane performance.
Hairspray - ****
Sunshine - An intense, clever, thought-provoking thriller.
El Cantante - Lopez gives her best performance since Out of Sight, and Anthony excites whenever he takes the stage.
Stardust - ***1/2 Stardust is a combination of grand adventure, magical effects and a romping sense of fun!
Balls of Fury - A fast and furious and sublime comedy! A great way to laugh away the summer! Christopher Walken is dazzlingly silly.
The Jane Austen Book Club - Warm, funny and well-acted. Open this book. Great ensemble performances!
The Darjeeling Limited - Hilarious. A train tussle with shades of the Marx brothers.
The Kingdom - A fast-paced and provocative thriller.
Michael Clayton - ****
I’m Not There - ****! A triumph! One of the year’s best films!
The Savages - A truly grown-up comedy with Oscar-worthy performances.
Juno - ****
Atonement - ****. The year’s best picture. Deeply moving. James McAvoy delivers a heart-breaking performance. Keira Knightley is a classic English rose.
The Golden Compass - Boosted by charmingly clever and endlessly appealing talking animals, the girl-power adventure will definitely charm the young-wizard set in a Harry Potterless season.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Hilarious…You’ll exit with your cheeks hurting._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:23 pm; edited 16 times in total

QUOTESAlpha Dog - Engrossing.
Music and Lyrics - Grant and Barrymore make for a sunny match.
The Astronaut Farmer - The Astronaut Farmer is a rare live-action family film that engages adults and children equally.
The Host - A knockout monster movie.
The Page Turner - An elegant sexy French thriller…The two leading ladies are note-perfect.
The Hoax - Richard Gere is sensational. Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden and Julie Delpy are equally adept. A smart, bouncy retelling of the fascinating true story.
The TV Set - A shrewd, savvy satire. It’s juicy stuff!
Year of the Dog - This Dog is a singular Best In Show.
Crazy Love - Fascinating
Ocean’s Thirteen - Fast, funny and uber-cool.
You Kill Me - Don’t overlook this quirky gem! An off-center delight! Sharp and sprightly!
A Mighty Heart - Powerful.
Sicko - Hilarious. Home run.
Live Free or Die Hard - Nobody does it better. Willis puts pungent pop in this popcorn.
The Simpsons Movie - The film will have you laughing hard and often.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Bourne rules! It’s heart-pumping stuff, doing what movies do at their best: transporting you even as you sit safely in your theater seat.
Shoot ‘Em Up - …Gleefully clever…
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - This film really stays with you.
The Kingdom - A gripping action thriller! This is a smart, exciting film.
Lust, Caution - Lushly sensual.
Michael Clayton - A smart thriller that sets your heart pumping and your mind racing.
Lars and the Real Girl - Critic’s choice! Don’t miss this one. One of this year’s quirkiest And most endearing surprises.
Wristcutters: A Love Story - Packed with gentle surprises and sly humor.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - **** Don’t miss it!
American Gangster - An entertaining true-life crime thriller.
No Country for Old Men - **** Hallelujah. So good, it takes your breath away.
Enchanted - A clever, high-spirited romp!
Atonement - ****. One of the year’s best pictures. Atonement dazzles. A sweeping love story. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy couldn’t be better or better matched. Stunningly good._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:29 pm; edited 11 times in total

QUOTESGod Grew Tired of Us - Inspiring! Captivating, comic and inspiring!
The Namesake - A spellbinding exploration of love and belonging.
The Page Turner - Exquisitely chilling…
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Cillian Murphy is quietly brilliant. He gives the story its human core and indelible climax. An all too timely political drama.
The Wendell Baker Story - The Wilsonian charm never falters.
Paris, je Ta’ime - An intimate, star-studded tour of Paris.
Mr. Brooks - A wickedly entertaining thriller!
You Kill Me - A comic noir…Ben Kingsley is hilariously deadpan. Tea Leoni’s stunningly honest portrayal gives the movie its heart.
Becoming Jane - Witty and thrilling. Anne Hathaway is as bright and elegant as Jane Austen herself.
Death at a Funeral - Insanely funny.
2 Days in Paris - Fearlessly original and laugh-out-loud funny!
3:10 To Yuma - Excellent!
In the Shadow of the Moon - Gorgeous! Humorous, heartfelt and intensely moving.
The Brave One - An electrifying thriller. Jodie Foster gives a chilling performance.
Across the Universe - Across the Universe pulls out all the stops.
The Jane Austen Book Club - Hilarious!
Lust, Caution - Tang Wei gives a performance of astonishing passion and complexity. She is the sort of deeply expressive actress who can look ordinary on moment and utterly captivating the next.
Michael Clayton - Clooney’s performance is the best and most intimate work he’s ever done.
Nanking - Tremendously moving!
Youth Without Youth - Francis Ford Coppola’s first movie in a decade the gorgeous, time-traveling, Youth Without Youth is worth the wait.
The Kite Runner - Every bit as gripping as the best-selling novel._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:30 pm; edited 12 times in total

QUOTESThe Lives of Others - Donnersmarck’s storytelling gifts have the novelistic richness of a seasoned master. The accelerating plot twists are more than just clever surprises.
Breach - A wonderfully taut cat-and-mouse thriller. Breach features a performance by Chris Cooper…that ought to be remembered as one of the year’s best come December.
Zodiac - Fascinating and uncompromising. It’s Fincher’s best, most mature work. The result is a movie about obsession made with an obsessive attention to detail. Zodiac holds you in its grip from start to finish.
The Namesake - A sprawling and engrossing saga.
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams - Eloquent! Impossible to forget!
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Exhilarating! Powerfully moving.…with a physicality that seeps into your skin.
After the Wedding - A compelling, marvelously acted melodrama. Hand-held Douglas Sirk for the 21st century.
The Hoax - The freshest, most surprising American movie this year. It’s so much fun to watch. Deliciously smart.
Stephanie Daley - Terrific performances.
Air Guitar Nation - On a scale of zero to seven, we give it an eleven…genius!
Zoo - Transfixing! Eerily beautiful.
Shrek the Third - Had me laughing at the get-go.
Paprika - (1) Stunning! Delicious! Wildly inventive…Packed with ideas and visual fireworks. Paprika expands your notion of what animation can achieve. You wake from it as if it was a dream: Spooked, provoked and exhilarated! (2) One of the most wildly (and disturbingly) inventive animated films I’ve seen.
Knocked Up - Uproariously funny! Judd Apatow is making the freshest, most honest mainstream comedies in Hollywood.
Ocean’s Thirteen - …Real laughs!
A Mighty Heart - Angelina Jolie gives a performance of meticulous honesty.
Talk To Me - Don Cheadle is sensational! Vital entertainment that struts confidently between comedy and drama.
Hairspray - Big movie fun! It left me with a big grin.
No End In Sight - This powerhouse of a movie should be required viewing for every member of Congress. Lucid, without partisan rhetoric, and not to be missed.
This Is England - The sleeper of the summer! A classic coming-of-age tale! Raw, exuberant…pops up the screen.
Rocket Science - Sharp and painfully funny…A hyperacticulate comedy.
Exiled - A bewitchingly entertaining brew. Flamboyant, dreamily violent and darkly funny.
In the Shadow of the Moon - Astonishing! Stirring!
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - An uncompromising poetic reverie.
Michael Clayton - A gripping thriller.
Wristcutters: A Love Story - A funny, charming movie…Directed with deadpan assurance. This is one you haven’t seen before.
Redacted - Angry. Powerful. Incendiary.
Margot at the Wedding - Cruelly funny, psychologically astute, sociologically dead on, and refreshingly unformulaic.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - A stunning film.
Atonement - Mesmerizing. The chemistry between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy is white-hot. A movie that rewards a second viewing.
The Kite Runner - A solid, unpretentious movie that hits its marks squarely and isn’t afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.
There Will Be Blood - There hasn't been a more breathtaking, damning portrait of frontier paranoia since McCabe & Mrs. Miller_________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:32 am; edited 15 times in total

QUOTESThe Lives of Others - Potent and unmissable! Exceptional. Smartly crafted, impeccably acted. The narrative is a noose, tightening around all the characters – and the moviegoer too.
The Host - See the real thing now. Madly entertaining.
Hot Fuzz - The best. Surely the smartest, English-language movie of the year to date! I laughed along with the audibly delighted crowd. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg have topped Shaun of the Dead.
Black Sheep - Unmissable!
Ratatouille - Amazing! Pixar realizes that movies…are not just talking pictures. They are motion and emotion pictures.
Sicko - Sicko is socko! So funny you may pop a stitch!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Powerful and poignant.
Hairspray - It’s the most vivacious movie musical in ages, and Travolta is a big reason why.
The Simpsons Movie - The Simpsons Movie. It was worth the wait.
3:10 To Yuma - A taut, terrific action film!
Eastern Promises - Director David Cronenberg provides thrills galore. Excellent. Brisk, compelling. A taut film.
The Brave One - Engrossing.
In the Valley of Elah - Triumphant! Director Paul Haggis (Crash) mines all the nuances of love, loyalty and depravity in this searing, caring drama.
Lust, Caution - An elegant, erotic movie – mixes daring and delicacy with a master’s touch. The perfect blending of director Ang Lee’s two most popular films.
Feast of Love - Sexy, funny… and defiantly romantic
Terror’s Advocate - A riveting drama. This fascinating story is fresh, epic and challenging to all preconceptions. (quoted with Mary Corliss)
Gone Baby Gone - It’s smart…A tightly wound thriller that will keep you guessing.
No Country for Old Men - Thrilling, tough and tangy!
Redacted - An amazingly vigorous work and DePalma’s strongest cinematic statement since Casualties of War.
The Golden Compass - A literally jaw-dropping battle of the ice bears. The find is Dakota Blue Richards. A child actress who’s both grounded and magical.
Atonement - Each period in the film packs a seismic revelation. A wise, beautifully acted parable of vengeance and contrition.
Youth Without Youth - Boldly romantic and seductively cinematic, the great American director of the ‘70s has survived with his operatic intensity intact.
Charlie Wilson’s War - The year’s funniest smart movie! The filmmakers and stars are on the top of their game.
The Orphanage - So tense, you’ll need to calm yourself by saying “It’s only a movie!” (and Mary Corliss)_________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:37 am; edited 11 times in total

QUOTESAn Unreasonable Man - Fascinating!
Amazing Grace - Fascinating, vibrant and upbeat!
The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Wonderful…exciting…beautifully realized.
Lonely Hearts - Superb!
Superbad - An uproarious and touching picture.
Delirious - Exhilarating!
3:10 To Yuma - Tense and intricately wrought. Russell Crowe is an acting genius!
In the Valley of Elah - A powerful movie! Tommy Lee Jones gives a great, selfless, and heartbreaking performance. – The New Yorker
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - Furious and entertaining. Feverishly acted.
American Gangster - American Gangster has been made with great panache and drive. Denzel Washington’s movie-star glow is all-powerful here.
Redacted - DePalma is onto something powerful with his multisided approach. The film comes off as the opposite of exploitation.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - A feast of moviemaking. It feels like nothing less than the rebirth of the cinema. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a gloriously unlocked experience, with some of the freest and most creative uses of the camera and some of the most daring, cruel, and heartbreaking emotional explorations that have appeared in recent movies.
There Will Be Blood - An enthralling and powerfully eccentric American epic._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:50 am; edited 5 times in total

QUOTESThe Italian - Irresistible!
Driving Lessons - A delightful coming-of-age story.
Amazing Grace - Triumphant! A dream cast with a dashing hero!
The Lookout - Heart-stopping! The most gripping suspense film in years.
Lonely Hearts - A gritty, true crime story with a string of compelling performances. Hayek is brilliant and startling!
Arctic Tale - Children will be mesmerized by the animal footage and adults will glory in the landscapes…
Resurrecting the Champ - Great performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett.
The Price of Sugar - Provocative.
Gone Baby Gone - It’s going to be remembered as…one of the best crime movies of the decade. Thoughtful, deeply poignant and splendidly executed.
Rails & Ties - Marcia Gay Harden etches another Oscar-worthy portrayal.
Badland - Badland is a haunting film about the tragic repercussions of war. Strong performances and eloquent cinematography enhance the story.
Billy the Kid - A striking, heartfelt documentary that deserves to have a long shelf life._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:13 pm; edited 7 times in total

QUOTESTears of the Black Tiger - A delirium-inducing jaw-dropper!
An Unreasonable Man - Brilliant and compelling.
The Cats of Mirikitani - A miracle.
Maxed Out - Hair-raising! After watching Maxed Out, I vowed to pay off all my credit cards at once.
The TV Set - Acid showbiz comedy. Deftly calibrated and acted with relish: Kasdan is really good! The TV Set is smart.
Black Book - I urge you not to pass up Black Book! It’s a marvelous movie-movie, with a new screen goddess Carice Van Houten.
Disturbia - …scares you silly.
Private Fears in Public Places - Hurry!...The best movie in town!
28 Weeks Later - Terrifying. Ferocious.
Brooklyn Rules - Baldwin is so good in the coming-of-age gangster drama Brooklyn Rules that it’s like watching a voodoo priest.
Golden Door - This movie is a blessing.
Crazy Love - An amazing film. For those of you who don’t know the story, I’ll let director Klores spring his jack-in-the-boxes – and let your jaw drop as low as mine did.
Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman - Engrossing. Fascinating!
Ocean’s Thirteen - Elegant and so much fun!
Unborn in the USA: Inside the War on Abortion - Critic’s Choice! Whatever your views on abortion…you need to hear the subjects of this film, if only to be able to fight them more effectively.
Fido - Madly funny! Make room for Fido!
No End In Sight - Incendiary, meticulous, thoroughly engrossing and quietly devastating.
Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) - Gripping…Breathtaking!
Exiled - A simple, stylish and utterly delightful introduction to Johnnie To.
The Good Night - …The jokes hit you from behind and underneath while the bleakness smacks you in the face. Painful, yes – but, that’s part of the masochistic fun.
Lars and the Real Girl - Howlingly funny.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead - Enthralling! Brilliant! Sidney Lumet lovers, rejoice!
War Dance - Glorious!
Redacted - The movie everyone will be talking about. I hope that it makes people livid, that it’s furiously debated. DePalma makes me proud to be an American.
Starting Out in the Evening - Marvelous! Langella is better than perfect. This is what great screen acting is all about.
The Savages - One of the best films of the year. The Savages is a delightful movie. The funny bubbles up from the sad, and the sad gives the funny weight. It will send you home smiling.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - This film is a masterpiece. Julian Schnabel is a major film director, alive not only to light and texture but to characters’ emotions.
Billy the Kid - Heartbreaking…Watching Billy try to orient himself in a world that makes no senses makes you wonder how any of us ever did._________________Erik Childress
Online Film Critics Society / Chicago Film Critics Association
Nick Digilio - WGN Radio Chicago

Last edited by Erik The Movieman on Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:06 am; edited 11 times in total